US2491609A

US2491609A - Airplane control wheel

Info

Publication number: US2491609A
Application number: US726837A
Authority: US
Inventors: Harry F George
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1947-02-06
Filing date: 1947-02-06
Publication date: 1949-12-20
Anticipated expiration: 1966-12-20

Description

` Dec. 20,'1949 H. FJGEQRGE AIRPLAN coNTRoLn. WHEEL Filed Feb. G, 1947 Patented bec. 20,

UNITED STATES PATENT, OFFICE AIRPLANE CONTROL WHEEL Harry F. George, Chicago, Ill. Application February 6, i947, Serial No. 726,837 (c1. 'r4-552) 12 Claims. 1

This invention relates to airplane control wheels, and more particularly to such control wheels so constructed as to provide maximum safety to the operator or operators of an airplane and the like at the time of a crash or other accident.

Control Wheels for airplanes and the like, as heretofore constructed, have been objectionable from the standpoint of safety, in that they have had unprotected projecting parts against which the head or body of the pilot or other operator could contact with resulting serious damage, during the time of a crash or other accident that would throw the pilot or operator out of his normal position in the seat. Often at such times the pilot or operator is thrown with his head forcibly contacting the control wheel, or other portions of his body being violently forced thereagainst. When the head or other parts of his body strikes the control wheel, any projectingor rigid parts of such wheels, as heretofore known, constitute a grave potential danger of piercing the head or body or causing other serious damage to the pilot or operator during a crash landing or other serious shake-np of the air craft.

In the present invention I have overcome these dangerous possibilities by providing a control wheel of maximum safety in these regards. Many crash landings, or the striking on the ground of rigid, iixed objects such as trees, poles, posts, walls and the like, are of such nature as ordinarily not to kill the pilot or operator, but if he is not adequately protected he might receive very serious injury from the control wheel. Even in a crash from a substantial height, the pilot or operator might survive if not too badly injured from the control wheel. The present invention aims to reduce to the minimum the possibility of such injury. y

Among the objects of this' invention are: to provide a noveland improved control Wheel for aircraft and the like; to provide a control wheel of the type referred to having protecting means to prevent serious injury to the head er body of the pilot or operator; to provide a control Wheel having a iiexible protecting member covering the ends of the wheel `handle bars and extending therebetween; to provide means for preventing the handle bars from beingA bent out of shape; to

provide handle bars having resilient grips and one or more resilient members extending therebetween; to cover the other parts of the control wheel with protecting means; and such further objects, advantages, and capabilities, inherently at the left hand end 2 possessed by my invention, fully appear.

My invention further resides in the combination, construction and arrangement of parts, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and while I have shown therein for illustrative pur poses preferred embodiments, I Wish it understood that the same are susceptible of modication and change without departing from the spirit of my invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a rear elevation, partly in section, of a control wheel embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of a modified form of my invention.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary vertical longitudinal section taken on the median plane through the handle bar end, grip member and associated parts of Fig. 3, a portion of the handle bar being shown in elevation.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary vertical longitudinal section through the left hand grip member and associated parts of a modied form of my invention, a portion of the handle bar being shown in elevation.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged vertical transverse section on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5.

In the form of my invention shown in Figs. 1 and 2 my improved control wheel comprises a bottom laterally extending handle bar I having iixed thereon centrally of its length a hub member 2 having a laterally extending opening to receive a stub shaft 3 passing through the instrument board, or other adjacent support, and operatively connected therebehind to conventional controlling means in an airplane or other air craft (not shown) such as the rudder, elevators, ailerons, and the like. Stub shaft 3 is fixed in hub 2 by a pin 4 or other suitable fastening means whereby to nx the control wheel to said stub shaft so that they rotate together as a unit. Covering the hub 2 on both the top, bottom and front and extending a distance therefrom along handle bar I is a rubber cushion 5 suiiiciently thick and soft to prevent injury to the operators head or other portions of his body should the same be more or less violently thrown thereagainst in cast of an accident.

As seen in Fig. 2, the bottom portion I of the handle bar is curved forwardly so that the hub 2 is nearer to the instrument board or other supporting element than the upstanding vertical portions of the handle bar. At its outer ends the main member I of the handle bar is curved up-l as will later more Wardly to provide a pair (one on each end) of upstanding handle members 6 and l. Mounted upon each of handle members 6 and 'I is a grip member 8 preferably formed of rubber or other more or less soft material which serves as an efiicient gripping means for the hands of the operator as well as a cushion to prevent injury to the operator in case of accident.

In order to stiffen the upstanding handle members 6 and l Vthere is provided a metal cross bar 9, which may be tubular or not as desired, and is fixed at its ends to said upstanding handle members, as for example by having at each end an integral sleeve slipped over `and fixed to the upper ends of the members 6 and 'I (Fig. 1). Cross bar 9 thus serves to prevent the upstanding handle members from being bent toward or away from each other in case of accident.

Fixed at its respective ends to the upstanding handle members 6 and i is a flexible cross member il which may be a rubber bar, or other suitable flexible member of sufficient flexibility and strength to safely receive the impact of the pilots head or other portion of his body should the same be thrown thereagainst incase of accident. As shown in Fig. 1, this flexible cross member or protector II is preferably ,of rubber and has extended longitudinally therethrough a cable I2 which at each end is fixed firmly within a sleeve or plug I3 positioned inside of the tube (and 1) and fixed thereto by a pin I4. The depending ends I5Vof member Il may contact the sleeves I3 or not as desired.

It is thus seen that by providing the flexible protector member II to extend between the top ends of the upstanding handle portions, the rubber or other soft grip members 8 and the soft protecting cushion 5 overthe hub, I have produced a control wheel in which the pilot or operator will have a very large degree of safety in case of accident to the air craft, such as in crashing, landing too abruptly, or striking fixed objects, or the like. As will be understood, the exible protecting member II is sufficiently taut to normally maintain its position but yet yieldable to withstand considerable pressure from the pilots head or body and yet prevent him from serious injury. The handle grips 8 and soft cushion member 5 also aid very materially in this connection. The crossprotecting member II will be positioned a sufficient distance above the reinforcing cross bar 9, and laterally to one side of the greater portion thereof, so as to prevent contact of the pilots head or body Iagainst said cross bar 9.

In Figs. 3 and 4 the cross bar,l 9 is omitted but the ends of the protecting member II are fixed in the upright members 6 land 'I in a manner similar to that describe-d above in connection with Fig. 1. In the form shown in Fig. 5 the protecting cross member II may at its ends be formed integrally with the handle grip members 8 so that its ends may be applied downwardly over thetop ends of the upstanding handle members and cemented or otherwisev secured thereto.

In the form of my invention shown in Figs. 3 and 4 I have, in addition to the protecting ,cross member II, also provided `at the bottom of the grip members 8 another cross member It` similar in nature to the resilient flexible protecting cross member Il. The ends of member I6 have openings Ifl therein to be positioned over handle members I and] before the grip members are applied thereto. This lower protecting member ISi gives further protection to thepilots head or body should the same strike the control wheel at a. position lower than that occupied by the top protecting flexible cross bar I I. This gives added protection to the pilot or operator in case of accident. The cross sectional shape of the flexible protecting member I6 may be the same as shown in Fig. 6 or otherwise as desired, the essential feature being that it be suillciently sturdy and yet flexible and resilient so as to safely receive contact from Ythe pilots he'ador body without injury tothe pilot. As will be understood, the pilot will sit on the near side of Figs. 1 and 3 and in a position below the view shown in Fig. 2. The pilot or operator will be in a position to readily grip the handle grips 8 for easy and eicient operation of the control mechanism of the air craftV and at the same time be effectively protected against injury by contact against the control wheel in case of accident. As explained, I prefer rubber as a material for the cross protecting members II and I6, butif desired the same may be formed of flexible cord of acceptable size and softness, or other suitable. flexible material. The stub shaft 3 may be,s0lid or tubular as desired. The rigid reinforcing cross bar 9 will preferably be bowed rearwardly to follow the contour ofthe bottom bar member I, asseen in Fig. 2. The cross members II'andv I6may be suitably reinforced as for example by the cable I2 shown in Figs. 1 and 4, or by having embedded therein a strip of canvas I1, as shown` inI Figs. 5 and 6, or other suitable reinforcing means, depending upon the type of cross member used.

I claim:

1. A control wheelfor aircraft;v and the like. comprising, a pairof handle bars having a hub and a pair of upstanding handles having resilient grips on theirupper end portions, and a flexible protecting member extending between said upper end portions and fixed thereto, said protecting member having its main portion beyond the ends of the upstanding handles.

2. A control Wheel as claimed in claim 1, in which said flexible protecting member is formed of reinforced rubber, the reinforcement of which is secured at its ends to said handles.

3. A control wheel as claimed'in claim 1, having a secondilexible protecting member extending between said handles below said grips.4

4. A control wheel for aircraft and the like, comprising, rigid-bottom bar having ahub adapted to be connected to controlling mechanism in the aircraft and a pair of .upstanding tubular handles, a resilient grip on each of said handles, a sturdy flexible protecting membery extending between the free ends of said handles and fixed thereto, and a rigid cross brace connecting said handles below said flexible member, the ends of said protecting member extending into the open ends of said tubular handles.

5. A control wheelas claimed'in claim 4, having a rubber cushion protecting' cap covering said hub.

6. A control wheel for airplanes and the like, comprising, a rigid rearwardlybent bottom bar having a hub in its` central'j portion, an upwardly extending handle at "each of the outer ends of the bottom bar, a resilient grip on each of said handles, and a rubber member connecting the free ends of said handles and fixed thereto to protect the operator in case o f accident, said rubber member at each end being bent to extend in a direction parallel with its respective handle member.

7. A control wheel asl claimed in claim 6, including rigid bracing means extending between said handles above said bottom bar and below said rubber member.

8. A control member adapted to be mounted for steering and handling of an aircraft, comprising a rigid bottom bar having a pair of upwardly extending handles, grip members on said handles, a flexible, resilient cushioning member connected to the free ends of said handles and extending therebetween to protect the pilot in case of accident, and a rigid member xed to and connecting said handles to prevent them from being bent out of normal position, said rigid member being spaced vertically from said cushioning member.

9. A control member adapted to be mounted for steering and handling of an aircraft, comprising a rigid bottom bar having a pair of upwardly extending tubular handles, grip members on said handles, a exible, resilient first cushioning member connected to the free ends of said handles and extending therebetween to protect the pilot in case of accident, the connection of said first cushioning member with the handles being inside of the tubular handles, and a second cushioning member connected to and extending between the handles below said grip members.

10. A control member adapted to be mounted for steering and handling of an aircraft, comprising a rigid bottom bar having a pair of upwardly extending handles, grip members on said handles, a exible, resilient cushioning member connected to said handles and extending therebetween to protect the pilot in case of accident, said cushioning member being of substantial thickness and formed of reinforced rubber, the reinforcement of which is xed to said handles.

1l. A control member adapted to be mounted for steering and handling an aircraft, comprising a rigid bottom bar having a hub, a pair of upwardly extending handles one on each end of the bottom bar, a rubber grip member on each of said Y' handles, a reinforced rubber member connecting said handles above the grip members, a reinforced rubber member connecting said handles below said grip members, and a rubber cushion covering said hub, the reinforcement of the iirst mentioned rubber member being a cable iixed at its ends to the handles, whereby in case of an accident the pilots body and head will be protected from injury by said two rubber members and said hub cushion in case of accident,

12. A control member adapted to be mounted for controlling an aircraft, comprising a rigid bottom bar having a hub, a pair of upwardly extending tubular handles one on each end of the bottom bar, a rubber grip member on each of said handles, a rubber protecting member connecting said handles, a cable extending longitudinally through said protecting member, a pair of plugs secured rmly one on each end of said cable, each of said plugs being xed within one of said tubular handles.

HARRY F. GEORGE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,647,903 Cook Nov. 1, 1927 1,738,855 Thompson Dec. 10, 1929 2,204,070 Crockett June 1l, 1940 D. 135,167 i Obzarny et al Mar. 2, 1943 D. 138,079 Drew June 13, 1944 D. 147,702 Vevrit Oct. 14, 1947 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 10,844 Great Britain May 31, 1895 92,678 Germany July 5, 1897 751,438 France Sept. 4, 1933